I suffer from the hangries.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the hangries are a condition that causes normally rational people to get fussy and cranky when they haven’t eaten for an extended period of time. It comes from the words “hungry” + “angry” = hangries.
I wish I was the type of person who could simply forget about eating, but I never have been. When it’s been too long since my last meal, my body immediately feels the effects. And unfortunately, sometimes those effects caused me to be less-than-pleasant company.
On the flip side, I love the feeling of having eaten a good meal that I know will sustain me for a long period of time. Feeling satiated, I’m energized to take on whatever is next in the day. Satisfied, my body is equipped to do the things that I need to do.
I’ve found that the same is true for my spiritual meals. If I don’t eat, if I’m not regularly partaking of the meet of God’s Word, I get the spiritual version of the hangries. I’m less inclined towards obedience, I’m more inclined to sin, and my focus is on myself rather than God. What I eat, regularly and richly of the truth of God, I’m spiritually equipped to do those things that God has called me to do.
It’s important for our bodies to be satisfied, to have what they need to function as they ought. However, we must recognize that our spiritual well-being also requires nutrients and sustenance; our spiritual health requires regular and intentional feeding. Just like I know the effect on my body when I neglect to give it food, we should recognize the impact on our soul when we don’t provide what it needs. And we should purposefully and regularly consume God’s Word for our soul to be satisfied.